Electronic apparatus with a solar battery

Abstract

In the case of using a solar battery formed by growing an amorphous silicon film on a substrate as a watch face for an electronic watch, there had been great restrictions with regard to the design of the watch face. If it is possible to impart transparency to light to the substrate onto which is formed a solar battery, so that it is possible to achieve a form of solar battery that is not perceivable, it is possible, by using a substrate onto which is formed this solar battery either on the watch face or on a protective glass crystal or the like, to achieve a watch with a solar battery not restricted with respect to watch face design.

1 . An electronic apparatus in which a major portion of an information display means is covered by a transparent substrate having a solar battery, said solar battery being formed on said transparent substrate as a narrow linear element, so as to not block a major transparent portion of the transparent substrate, and formed so that the solar battery protrudes minimally at one main surface of the transparent substrate.  
     
     
         2 . An electronic apparatus in which a major portion of an information display means is covered by a transparent substrate having a solar battery, said solar battery being formed on said transparent substrate as a narrow linear element, so as to not block a major transparent portion of the transparent substrate, and formed so that the solar battery protrudes minimally at one main surface of the transparent substrate, said transparent substrate that includes said solar battery being disposed on the light incidence side with respect to the information display means, and said solar battery formed so as to protrude from said transparent substrate being formed on a surface of said transparent substrate opposing said information display means.  
     
     
         3 . An electronic apparatus in which a major portion of an information display means is covered by a transparent substrate having a solar battery, said solar battery being formed on said transparent substrate as a narrow linear element, so as to not block a major transparent portion of the transparent substrate, and formed so that the solar battery protrudes minimally at one main surface of the transparent substrate, said transparent substrate that includes said solar battery being disposed on the light incidence side with respect to the information display means, and said solar battery formed so as to protrude from said transparent substrate being formed on a surface of said transparent substrate opposite from the surface opposing said information display means.  
     
     
         4 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 3 , wherein the protruding height of said solar battery from said transparent substrate is such that the total of the heights (H 1 +H 2 ) on both sides of the solar battery on both side walls formed along the longitudinal direction of the solar battery is 1% to 30% of the total of the length (H 1 +H 2 +L) summing up a length L of a portion of a cross-sectional area protruding from the transparent substrate and formed perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said solar battery and which being substantially parallel to said transparent substrate, and a total of the two heights (H 1 +H 2 ) corresponding to the side walls on both sides thereof.  
     
     
         5 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 4 , wherein said part of said solar battery protruding from said transparent substrate is covered by a transparent protective film.  
     
     
         6 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 5 , wherein a side wall part of said solar battery forms a light-incidence part.  
     
     
         7 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 6 , wherein said side wall part of said solar battery is configured so that part of the light that is transmitted through the transparent substrate or light reflected from the transparent substrate is incident thereto.  
     
     
         8 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 7 , wherein said information display means is one type selected from a group of, a liquid-crystal display, a plate on a surface of which numerals or graphics are shown and an indicating board of a watch, or the like.  
     
     
         9 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 7 , wherein said electronic apparatus is an electronic watch.  
     
     
         10 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 9 , wherein said plurality of narrow linear elements are disposed so as to be mutually parallel or disposed so as to have a prescribed spacing therebetween.  
     
     
         11 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 10 , wherein a width of said narrow linear elements and a spacing between said narrow linear elements are established so that said narrow linear elements are not perceivable to the human eye.  
     
     
         12 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 10 , wherein said narrow linear elements are straight lines or curved lines.  
     
     
         13 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 12 , wherein the transmissivity of said solar battery is 70% or greater.  
     
     
         14 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 13 , wherein the width of said narrow linear elements forming said solar battery is 200 μm or smaller.  
     
     
         15 . An electronic apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the width of said narrow liner elements forming said solar battery is 20 μm or smaller.  
     
     
         16 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 15 , wherein the spacing between said plurality of narrow linear elements forming said solar battery is at least 50 μm.  
     
     
         17 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 16 , wherein the portion of surface area of said transparent substrate occupied by said solar battery is 20% or less.  
     
     
         18 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 17 , wherein a group of a plurality of narrow linear elements formed on said transparent substrate are connected mutually in parallel.  
     
     
         19 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 18 , wherein a group of a plurality of narrow linear elements formed on said transparent substrate are divided into mutually different subgroups, the plurality of narrow linear elements in each individual subgroup being connected mutually in parallel, and the plurality of subgroups being connected mutually in series.  
     
     
         20 . An electronic apparatus according to  claim 19 , wherein said plurality of narrow linear elements disposed mutually parallel and forming one subgroup is interleaved among said plurality of narrow linear elements disposed mutually parallel and forming another subgroup.  
     
     
         21 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 18  to  20 , wherein said plurality of narrow linear elements disposed mutually parallel and forming one subgroup is disposed so that the arrangement direction thereof is different from that of said plurality of narrow linear elements disposed mutually parallel and forming another subgroup  
     
     
         22 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 21 , wherein said solar battery comprises a transparent electrode layer disposed at a part in contact with the transparent substrate, an electrical generating layer provided in contact with said transparent electrode layer, and an electrode layer made of a metal layer or a transparent electrode layer provided in contact with said electrical generating layer.  
     
     
         23 . An electronic apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein both said electrode layers of said solar battery are transparent electrode layers.  
     
     
         24 . An electronic apparatus according to  claim 21  or  22 , wherein said electrical generating layer is an amorphous silicon film.  
     
     
         25 . An electronic apparatus according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 24 , wherein a surface of said information display means is configured so as to be able to reflect incident light.  
     
     
         26 . A solar battery module in which a solar battery is formed on a surface of a transparent substrate, said solar battery having a narrow linear element so as not to block a major transparent portion of said transparent substrate, and said solar battery being formed so as to protrude from at least one main surface of said transparent substrate.  
     
     
         27 . A solar battery module according to  claim 26 , wherein said solar battery is covered by a protective film.  
     
     
         28 . A solar battery module according to  claim 26  or  claim 27 , wherein a side wall part of said solar battery is configured as a light-incidence part.  
     
     
         29 . A solar battery module according to any one of  claim 26  to  claim 28 , wherein a plurality of narrow linear elements are disposed so as to be mutually parallel or disposed so as to have a prescribed spacing therebetween.  
     
     
         30 . A solar battery module according to any one of  claim 26  to  claim 28 , wherein the width of a plurality of said narrow linear elements and the spacing between each said narrow linear elements are established so that said narrow linear elements in said solar battery is not perceivable to the human eye.  
     
     
         31 . A solar battery module according to any one of  claim 26  to  claim 30 , wherein said narrow linear elements are straight lines or curved lines.  
     
     
         32 . A solar battery module according to any one of  claim 26  to  claim 31 , wherein the transmissivity of said solar battery is 70% or greater.  
     
     
         33 . A solar battery module according to any one of  claim 26  to  claim 32 , wherein the width of said narrow linear elements forming said solar battery is 200 μm or smaller.  
     
     
         34 . A solar battery module according to  claim 33 , wherein the width of said narrow linear elements forming said solar battery is 20 μm or smaller.  
     
     
         35 . A solar battery module according to any one of  claim 36  to  claim 34 , wherein the spacing between said plurality of narrow linear elements forming said solar battery is at least 50 μm.  
     
     
         36 . A solar battery module according to any one of  claim 26  to  claim 35 , wherein the portion of surface area of the transparent substrate occupied by said solar battery is 20% or less.  
     
     
         37 . A solar battery module according to any one of  claim 26  to  claim 36 , wherein a group of narrow linear elements formed on said transparent substrate are connected mutually in parallel.  
     
     
         38 . A solar battery module according to any one of  claim 26  to  claim 37 , wherein said plurality of narrow linear elements formed on said transparent substrate is divided into a plurality of subgroups, the plurality of narrow linear elements of each subgroup being connected in mutually parallel, and said subgroups being connected mutually in series.  
     
     
         39 . A solar battery module according to  claim 38 , wherein a plurality of narrow linear elements disposed mutually parallel forming one subgroup is interleaved between a plurality of narrow linear elements disposed mutually parallel and forming another subgroup.  
     
     
         40 . A solar battery module according to  claim 38  or  claim 39 , wherein a plurality of narrow linear elements disposed mutually parallel and forming one subgroup is disposed with an arrangement direction that is different from the arrangement direction of a plurality of narrow linear elements disposed mutually parallel and forming another subgroup.  
     
     
         41 . A watch with a solar battery, in which a solar battery module is disposed on top of a watch face.  
     
     
         42 . A watch with a solar battery, in which a solar battery is disposed on a protective glass crystal.  
     
     
         43 . A watch with a solar battery, in which a solar battery module is disposed below a protective glass crystal.  
     
     
         44 . A watch with a solar battery according to any one of  claim 41  to  claim 43 , wherein the solar battery module has an electrical generating section and a display part.  
     
     
         45 . A watch with a solar battery according to any one of  claim 41  to  claim 44 , wherein a solar battery element is in the shape of a spider's web.  
     
     
         46 . A watch with a solar battery according to any one of  claim 41  to  claim 45 , wherein a solar battery element is formed by a plurality of parallel lines.